Hamas says Netanyahu sabotaging ceasefire talks to prolong Gaza assault

Hamas has issued a statement on the status of Gaza ceasefire talks, accusing Netanyahu of intentionally dragging them out so Israel can “prolong the aggression against our people”.

Netanyahu’s demand for open-ended Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor is one “trick” to this end, said the Palestinian group.

So rather than hash out new proposals, Hamas said, Israel’s government should be pushed to “adhere to what has [already] been agreed upon”.

The statement echoes remarks by senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, who told Al Jazeera yesterdat that the US should pressure Israel to accept a US-backed ceasefire plan put forward by President Biden in May.